I was born with an innate desire to take care of animals, so being a dog sitter really is a dream come true for me! When I was a child, I used to actually sneak animals back home to help them out and nurse them back to health—dog sitting seems sort of like a logical extension of that now that I’m older! But I definitely have a very strong connection with dogs in particular, as they have such an amazing and selfless spirit about them. They certainly inspired me to do what I can to give back to them wherever I could. Since my teenage years, I have always volunteered at animal shelters for at least two months out of the year. Volunteering has always been an extremely rewarding experience, and I learned so much about proper dog care in the process. I have also learned how to train dogs using voice commands and hand gestures from professional trainers and handlers, which I bring to my own pups all the time. I have studied animals and their mannerisms extensively and know what warning signs to look for in scared or intimidated animals. I have personally trained all of my dogs and have even taught them unusual commands such as “Hoover”, which is when food (usually Cheerios) has fallen on the floor and they are allowed to pick it up! I’m always eager to learn about the animals I meet and cater my care to their individual needs. Although I’ll be the primary caregiver to your pup, my house is full of puppy love! I live with my husband, teenage daughter, and my young son. My husband and daughter are always hands-on in helping with the animals in my care, and they absolutely love having new pups come stay with us. My son is a toddler, but he is very sweet and gentle with all animals, as I took care to teach both of my children from a very early age to love and properly interact with animals. I think we four make a pretty great team together! In addition to the four of us, I also have four pups of my own who just can’t wait to make new friends. All of my dogs are large to extra-large, but they are some of the friendliest creatures around. Julius is my official ambassador. He is very patient and allows new dogs to really become comfortable with new faces. Luna, my puppy, is usually the second furry face they see after they’ve shown their comfortable with other dogs. Minerva is the next face once they’ve become acclimated to Luna, and Maximus is the last because he’s the oldest and sometimes takes a bit to warm up to new pups. All of the dogs I’ve boarded have been successfully integrated into my pack within the first 12-24 hours, however, so I’m sure that we’ll all be good friends in no time at all. I am very flexible and willing to work with reasonable requests and/or modifications, so please feel free to ask! Late drop offs and pickups are accepted as well as last-minute requests, per availability. I do have the ability to separate dogs that are not socialized, however, a $15/night charge will be added to the booking prior to confirmation of the booking due to the added measure needed to be taken to ensure a safe environment for everyone. I do not charge for late or early exchanges, but do ask for advance notice if you plan on dropping off before 8am or after 8pm. I can trim nails, but will not if the dog shows signs of anxiety or aggression.